Food packaging

ABSTRACT

A multi-compartment unitary packaging is used for a variety of foodstuffs. The packaging includes two or more conjoined compartments. Each of the compartments is provided with or constituted by a containment having a gas permeability matching the individual respiration rate of the foodstuff(s) to be held within that compartment.

RELATED APPLICATION DATA

This application corresponds to International (PCT) Patent ApplicationNo. PCT/GB2004/005107, filed Dec. 3, 2004, which published as WO2005/056426 on Jun. 23, 2005; claims priority from GB Patent ApplicationNo. 0328332.2, filed Dec. 6, 2003, which is incorporated herein in itsentirety by reference thereto.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention concerns improvements in or relating to food packagingand more particularly, but not exclusively, to packaging for foodstuffswith a defined but relatively short shelf life, for example perishablefoods such as vegetables and fruit.

2. Description of the Prior Art

It is common practice in the modern retailing of these types offoodstuffs to use packaging in order to preserve the freshness andquality of the produce and to impose a measure of hygiene in anenvironment in which handling of the produce is customary. It is wellknown that differing vegetables and fruits possess different respirationrates and accordingly their rate of deterioration or preservabilitydiffers to the extent that their enclosure in a unitary pack fails toaccommodate their inherent attributes. The consequence is that one typeof packaging is not universally acceptable for the maintenance ofquality and the enhancement of shelf life. Much attention has been paidto the creation of packaging materials that address the need forproviding films or other enclosures which afford flexibility in terms ofcatering for the different respiration rates mentioned above. Forexample U.S. Pat. No. 4,996,071 to Bell is concerned with theascertainment of the respiration rates of various vegetables and thematching of those rates with an appropriate packaging to achieve thedesired effect for the preservation of quality, appearance andmarketability of the produce. U.S. Pat. No. 6,013,293 to De Moordiscloses a packaging member including a gas permeable membrane having adefined oxygen respirability and a container enclosing the member withinwhich in practice fruit or other respiring biological materials arepacked.

The globalization of supply sources demands a new approach to packagingfor the transportation and distribution of perishable foodstuffs in away that preserves quality and freshness with a reasonable shelf lifespan. There is a veritable plethora of patents directed to all manner ofcontrolled atmosphere packaging and the materials used therefor but noneof them relates to the solution of the problem of accommodating thevarying respiration rates of perishable foodstuffs whilst offering tothe customer the versatility of produce normally on sale and to be usedtogether when consumed.

It is also known to provide multi-compartment packaging in thepresentation of ready to eat meals, for example in aircraft catering,but such packaging usually has common headspace. Furthermore there isalso known the “eat-me/keep me” multi-packs but they are focused onproviding the same produce but in separate compartments so that they canbe used sequentially. It is an object of the present invention toprovide a packaging for foodstuffs that provides a solution to theproblem outlined above.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the invention there is provided a multi-compartment unitarypackaging for a variety of foodstuffs, including two or more conjoinedcompartments, each compartment being provided with or constituted by acontainment having a gas permeability matching the individualrespiration rate of the foodstuff(s) to be held within that compartment.Each compartment when constituted by the containment may comprise a filmin the form of a bag which conveniently is integral with the othercompartments of the packaging. Each compartment may in practice beformed separately from the other compartment or compartments and thenconjoined therewith to provide the multi-compartment packaging of theinvention. In the alternative, the multi-compartment packaging may beproduced unitarily with each compartment being separate but conjoined.In some embodiments of the invention the compartments are communicableone with the other through the agency of a common barrier whereby thepermeation of gases from one compartment to another assists in thepreservation of the foodstuffs in the recipient compartment.

The compartments may be separable one from the other and it is to beunderstood that the term “multi-compartment” as used herein embracespackaging with two or more compartments. The packaging may bemanufactured from currently available conventional materials used forthe packaging of perishable foodstuffs and these materials may be gasand/or vapor-permeable as required according to the specific foodstuffsin question.

The present invention also provides for the formation of the packaginginto differing geometric shapes and accordingly the structure thereof isgoverned thereby. For example, the multi-compartment packaging may bemade in such form as in the finished article to present a pyramidalshape with each triangular face and the base thereof providing acompartment for a foodstuff or a variety of foodstuffs. Alternativegeometric shapes could be adopted, for example a circular form providinga multiplicity of compartments in sectoral fashion. Further alternativeshapes may be rectilinear or curvilinear. In all cases the functionalaspect of providing a plurality of compartments for differing foodstuffsis achieved together with the aestheticizing of the packaging to make itmore attractive to the consumer rather than just a plain bag.

As indicated supra the compartments may be sealed one from the other ormay be in communication through a common harrier therebetween undercontrolled conditions dependent upon the foodstuffs to be packaged.Accordingly the shape and therefore the appearance of the packaging willdepend in some measure upon the desired functionality.

The packaging of the present invention may include rigid or semi-rigidelements and thus for example each compartment may comprise a baseformed of such an element or elements amid may be of unitaryconstruction or may be formed of two or more elements conjoined insuitable manner one to the other or others. The containment may be inthe form of at least one film covering or closure. In the case of asingle containment the film would seal all the compartments one from theother or others along common boundaries. In the alternative a number ofcontainments would be provided separately to cover the individualcompartments sealing the same. This seal not only prevents mixing of thefoodstuffs as between one compartment and another but also isolates theheadspaces one from the other. The base may be formed of a material thatallows permeation of gases or vapors from one compartment to an adjacentcompartment, or it may be non-permeable. In a further alternative acombination of non-permeable and permeable materials may be employed asdictated by the foodstuffs to be included therein.

The term foodstuffs is intended to embrace all edible produce such asfor example vegetables, including salad components, and fruit togetherwith suitable dressings therefor. In this latter respect it is expectedthat for some applications of the present invention it will be necessaryor desirable to provide in at least one of the compartments of thepackaging a dressing or other condiment or sweetener or the like toembellish the flavor of the produce concerned, it is also to beunderstood that the term ‘edible produce’ will encompass foodstuffsother that of the green-grocery kind: for example it is envisaged thatmeat may he included as a foodstuff for which the packaging of thepresent invention may he suitable. In this instance, the packaging ofthe invention comprising a multiplicity of compartments may be used forthe presentation of complete meals of differing courses, each onerequiring different preservation conditions and thus differingcontainments. For example, cooked meats or boiled eggs are non-respiringand accordingly may be suitably gas-flushed within their respectivecompartments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

By way of example only, seven embodiments of multi-compartment packagingaccording to the invention are described below with reference to theaccompanying schematic drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment;

FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment;

FIG. 3 shows a third embodiment;

FIG. 4 shows a fourth embodiment;

FIG. 5 shows a fifth embodiment;

FIG. 6 shows a sixth embodiment; and

FIG. 7 shows a seventh embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In the drawings like parts have been accorded like numerals of referencethroughout the description of the embodiments.

Referring to FIG. 1 there is shown the first embodiment ofmulti-compartment packaging 1 comprising two or more compartments 2,with possibly two further compartments shown in dotted outline. Eachcompartment 2 is a film in the form of a bag conjoined to the next in asuitable manner, for example heat or pressure welding. Each compartmentis unique in terms of having its own permeability characteristics tocater for and match the respiration rate of the produce it is inpractice intended to contain. In this and indeed all examples of theinvention the bag is the containment which constitutes the compartment.This form of packaging may be used to encapsulate differing leaf saladswhich in practice deteriorate at differing respiration rates. Thepackaging is thus able to preserve the freshness of all the saladcomponents because the compartments are respiration specific.Conventional packaging is defective since it does not address the poorcohabitation of different foodstuffs.

In FIG. 2 the multi-compartment packaging 1 is of parallelogram formcomposed of four equilateral triangular compartments 2 connected to oneor more adjacent compartments, each compartment 2 again being so formedof appropriately gas and/or vapor permeable material to accommodatefoodstuffs of varying respiration rates.

FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate multi-compartment packaging 1 of pyramidalshape with either four or five compartments respectively. Again eachcompartment complies with the principal feature of the invention inbeing made of a material giving the required preservative features forthe produce contained within it. The packaging is so formedgeometrically that it can be configured as a pyramid to provide theaesthetic appearance for customer appeal, but with the functionality asindicated.

FIG. 5 provides a multi-compartment packaging 1 so formed as to providea multitude of compartments 2 but with the facility of a carryingfeature, namely a handle or loop 4. FIG. 6 shows a tetrahedrally-shapedmulti-compartment packaging 1 in the form of a bag which may beconjoined to an adjacent element as shown in the lower representation.

FIG. 7 depicts multi-compartment packaging 1 of generally circular formwith four sectoral compartments 2 arranged symmetrically about a core 5,the compartments being connected one to the other to provide a unitarypackage.

The present invention provides individual atmospheric 15 conditions tocater for the individual foodstuffs thereby affording enhancedcohabitation when compared with contemporary approaches to this kind ofpackaging. The customization of the packaging of the present inventionallows a miscellany of foodstuffs to be accommodated in but one packwith each different product enjoying an optimized climate in which tosurvive satisfactorily for its expected shelf life. This advantageousattribute is in sharp contrast to the conventional packaging whichessentially forces one product to endure what may well be a relativelyhostile environment in terms of deterioration of freshness and quality.

The added virtue of the present invention is that it uses conventionalmaterials which, as indicated above, have been investigated thoroughlyin terms of content and performance. It is to be understood that thepresent invention allows, as foreshadowed supra, the adoption of diversepresentational packaging which not only provides improved protection forthe produce concerned, but also makes it more visually attractive.

The merit of the invention is thus twofold in these respects.

1. Multi-compartment unitary packaging for a variety of foodstuffs,including two or more conjoined compartments, each compartment beingprovided with or constituted by a containment having a gas permeabilitymatching the individual respiration rate of the foodstuff(s) to be heldwithin that compartment.
 2. Packaging according to claim 1 in which eachcompartment is constituted by the containment and comprises a film ofplastics material, the characteristics of the film being dependent uponthe individual parameters to be established in the relevant department.3. Packaging according to claim 1 in which each compartment is integralwith one or more adjacent compartments.
 4. Packaging according to claim1 in which the compartments are formed separately and conjoined toprovide the multiplicity of compartments.
 5. Packaging according toclaim 1 in which some or all of the adjacent compartments are providedwith a common barrier.
 6. Packaging according to claim 5 in which thecommon barrier is gas/vapor permeable.
 7. Packaging according to claim 1in which the compartments are separable one from the other or others ofthem.
 8. Packaging according to claim 1 in which the compartments areformed into geometric shapes.
 9. Packaging according to claim 8 in whichthe geometric shape is rectilinear.
 10. Packaging according to claim 8in which the geometric shape is curvilinear.
 11. Packaging according toclaim 8 in which the geometric shape is circular, each compartment beingof sectoral form.
 12. Packaging according to claim 8 in which thegeometric shape is pyramidal amid each face of the pyramid is formed asa compartment.
 13. Packaging according to claim 1 in which the one ormore compartments may be produced from rigid or semi-rigid material andthe containment for each compartment or all compartments is a plasticsfilm.
 14. Packaging according to claim 1 in which each compartmentand/or the containment are gas/vapor permeable.
 15. Packaging accordingto claim 1 in which a carrying handle is provided.